laboured by Scholasticall artes, to perswade the opiniō, De vniuersalibus realibus, and that one substaunce of the common kinde shoulde signifye manye thinges subiect vnder the same, and euery one of them as Saint Ambrose, Hierome, Augustine doe affirme, and likewise others. For the teaching hereof by a playne example I described as it were a certayne triangle, forme or figure, the which I called the shield of fayth.

Therfore vtterly to exclude and take away the erronious and wicked vnderstanding thereof, the which perauenture some men may gather therby: I do say, affirme, & declare, that I neuer made the said figure, neither named it the shyeld of fayth to that intente or purpose, that I would extoll or preferre the opinion of vniuersalities aboue or before the contrarye opinion, in suche sorte as though þ^t were the shylde of fayth, & that without the affirmation therof, the catholike fayth could not be defended or mayntayned, when as I my selfe would not obstinatly sticke therunto. But this I sayd, because I had put example in the dcisription of the Triangle or forme, that one diuine essence consisted in three subiectes or persons in thē selues distincte: that is to say, the father, the sonne, and the holy Ghost. The article of whiche Trinitye is the chiefe shilde of fayth, and foundation of the Catholike truth.

Furthermore that it may be euident vnto all mē what the causes were which I was reputed and thoughte to sticke to, & fauour sometime Iohn Hus, I signifye vnto all mē by these presentes, that when as I had heard him oftentymes both in hys Sermons & also in the scholes: I beleued that he was a very good man, neyther that he dyd in any poynt gaynesaye the traditions of our holy mother the church, or holy doctours: insomuch as when I was lately in this Citye, & the articles which I affirmed were shewed vnto me, which were also condemned by the sacred councell, at the first sight of them I did not beleue that they were his, at the least not in that forme. But when as I had further vnderstand by certayne famous doctors and maysters of diuinitye, that they were his articles: I required for my further information and satisfaction, to haue the bookes of hys owne hande writing shewed vnto me, wherin it was sayd, those articles were conteyned. The whych bookes, when they wer shewed vnto me writtē with his own hand, which I did know as well as mine owne, I founde all, and euery one of those articles therein written in lyke forme as they are condemned.MarginaliaHierome is made here to say not his owne minde, but what pleased them. Wherfore I do worthely iudge and thinke hym and hys doctrine wyth hys adherentes to be condemned and reproued by this sacred Coūcel, as hereticall and wythout reason. All whych the premisses, with a pure mind and conscience I doe here pronounce and speake, being nowe fully and sufficientlye informed of the foresayd sentences and iudgementes geuen by the sacred coūcell against the doctrines of the said late Iohn Wicklieffe and Iohn Hus, and against theyr owne persons: vnto the which iudgement, as a deuout Catholike in all thinges, I do most humbly consent and agree.

Also I the aforesayd Hierome, whyche before the reuerend fathers the Lordes Cardinalles, and reuerend Lordes Prelates and Doctors, and other worshipfull personnes of thys sacred councell in thys same place, did heretofore frely & willingly declare & expound mine entent, & purpose: amōgest other things speaking of the church, did deuide the same into three partes. And as I did perceiue afterward, it was vnderstand by some that I would affirme that in the triumphante churche, there was fayth. Whereas I do fyrmely beleue that ther is the blessed sight and beholding of God, excluding all darke vnderstanding and knowledge. And now also I do saye, affirme and declare, that it was neuer my entent & purpose, to proue that there should be faith, speaking of fayth as fayth is commonly defyned, but knowledge farre exceeding fayth. And generally whatsoeuer I haue sayd, eyther there or at any time before, I do refer and most humbly submytte my selfe vnto the determination of thys sacred councell of Constance.

Moreouer, I doo sweare both by the holy Trinitye, and also by the moste holy Gospell, that I wyll for euer more remayne and perseuere wythout all doubte, in the truth of the catholike churche. And all suche as by theyr doctrine and teaching, shall impugne this fayth, I iudge them worthy together with theyr doctrines of eternall curse. And if I my selfe at any time (which God forbid I should) do presume to preache or teach, contra-ry thereunto, I will submitt my selfe vnto the seueritye of the Canons, and be bound vnto eternall payn and punishement. Whereupon I do deliuer vp this my confession and tenour of my profession, willinglye before this sacred generall councell, and haue subscribed and wrytten all these thynges wyth myne owne hand.

MarginaliaHierome after his abiuration returned into prisonAfter all this, they caused hym to be caryed again vnto the same pryson, but not so straightlye chayned and bound as he was before: notwithstanding kepte euery daye with souldiers and armed men. And when as afterward, his enemyes which were appoynted agaynste hym, as Mychaell de Causis, and wicked Palletz, with other their companions in these affayres, vnderstoode and knewe by the wordes and talke of mayster Hierom and by other certayne tokens, that he made the same abiuration and recantation, not of a syncere and pure minde, but only to the intent therby to scape their hāds: MarginaliaHierome acused a new by Causis, Palletz, and the Carmelites.they together with certayne Fryers of Prage, of the order of Carmelites, then commyng in, put vppe newe accusations agaynst the sayde mayster Hierome, and drewe the same into articles, beeing very instant and earnest that he should answere therunto. MarginaliaThe cardinal of Cambray with certayne other Cardinalles labour for the deliuery of Hierome.And forsomuch as his iudges and certayne Cardinalles, as the Cardinall of Cambray, the Cardinall de Vinnis, the Cardinall of Aquilegia, and of Florence, consideringe the malice of the enemies of mayster Hierome, did see the great iniurye that was done vnto hym, they laboured before the whole Councell for his deliuerye.

It happened vpon a certayne daye, as they wer labouryng in the Councell for the deliuerye of the sayde mayster Hierome: that þ^e Germaines & Bohemians his enemyes, with all force and power resysted against it, crying out, that he shoulde in no case be dismissed. Then starte vp one called Doctour Naso, which sayd vnto the Cardinalls, we maruaile muche of you moste reuerent fathers, that your reuerences will make intercession for suche a wicked heretike, MarginaliaSi dimittis hunc non es amicus Cæsaris.for whose sake we in Boheme with the whole Clergy, haue suffered much trouble and mischiefe, and peraduenture your fatherhoodes shall suffer: and I greatly feare least that you haue receyued some rewardes, eyther of the kynge of Boheme, or of these heretikes. When as the Cardinalls were thus rebuked, they discharged thēselues of Maister Hieromes cause and matter.

MarginaliaThe Patriarke of Constantinope gaue sentence of death both agaynst maister Hus and. M. Ierome of Prage.Then his enemies aforesayde, obtayned to haue other iudges appoynted, as the Patriarck of Constantinople, and a Germaine doctour, forsomuche as they dyd knowe that the Patriarke was a greuous enemy vnto M. Hierome, because he being before appointed iudge by the Coūcell, hadde condemned Ihon Hus vnto death.

But mayster Hierome would not answere them in pryson, requiringe to haue open audience, because hee would there finally declare vnto them his mynde, neyther would he by any meanes cōsent vnto those priuate iudges. Whereupon the presidentes of the councell thinking that the sayd maister Hierome would renue his recantation before the sayde audience and confirme the same, dyd graunt him open audience.

MarginaliaAn. 1416.
Hierome brought agayne before the councell.In the yeare of our Lord. 1416. the. xxv. day of May, which was þ^e saterday before the Ascension of our lord, the sayd mayster Hierome was broughte vnto open audience before the whole councell, to þ^e great cathedrall church of Constance, where as by the Cōmissioners of the councell, in þ^e behalfe of his foresaid enemies, there was layde against him of newe. C. and vii. articles, to the intent that he shoulde not scape the snare of deathe, which they prouided and layde for him: insomuche as the iudges had before declared that by the saying of the witnesses it was already concluded in the same audyence. The day aforesayd, from morning vntill noone, he answered vnto more then. xl. articles, moste subtylye ob